Which books and films were most popular at Pierce Co. libraries in 2023? Here’s a list

To many, the time of going to a library and checking a book out seems like something from the old days since we have access to millions of books now in the palm of our hand.

In today’s world it is more common to hear a person talk about having a subscription to reading apps such as Kindle or Audible rather than having a free library card to a local city or county library.

Nonetheless, libraries persist. In fact, millions of physical and digital checkouts happen every year.

Mary Getchell, the marketing and communications director of the Pierce County Library System, said in an email that they saw an estimated 5 million checkouts of books, audiobooks, movies and other materials in 2023.

Of those estimated 5 million checkouts, “2.3 million of those being online e-books, audiobooks and movies and approximately 3 million from books and movies on shelves in libraries. This is nearly 14,000 checkouts a day,” Getchell noted.

Here are the most popular adult books, teen/young adult books, children’s books, audiobooks, e-books, and movies that were checked out from the Pierce County Library system in 2023.

Adult books:

1. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus: 706 checkouts
2. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby van Pelt: 608 checkouts
3. The Wager : A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann: 568 checkouts
4. Homecoming by Kate Morton: 553 checkouts
5. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver: 537 checkouts

Movies on DVD:

1. A Man Called Otto: 905 checkouts
2. Top Gun: Maverick: 879 checkouts
3. John Wick. Chapter 4: 876 checkout
4. Black Adam: 844 checkouts
5. The Super Mario Bros: 776 checkouts

Teen/young adult books:

1. The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas: 173 checkouts
2. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas: 163 checkouts
3. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins: 150 checkouts
4. Gilded by Marissa Meyer: 145 checkouts
5. Cinder by Marissa Meyer: 140 checkouts

Children’s books:

1. Dog Man. Twenty thousand fleas under the sea by Dav Pilkey: 638 checkouts
2. Diper Overlöde by Jeff Kinney: 509 checkouts
3. Guts by Raina Telgemeier: 434 checkouts
4. Dog Man : Fetch-22 by Dav Pilkey: 405 checkouts
5. Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Big Shot by Jeff Kinney: 402 checkouts

Top five e-book titles borrowed:

1. Verity by Colleen Hoover
2. It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
3. Spare by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex
4. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
5. It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover

Top five online audiobook titles borrowed:

1. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
2. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
3. Spare by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex
4. I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
5. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

Rosemary Montalvo

The News Tribune

Rosemary Montalvo was previously a service journalism reporter based in Tacoma, WA. She started as a summer news intern after graduating from California State University, Fullerton in May 2023. She has also worked as the photo editor and reporter for her university’s student-run newspaper. She was born in Inglewood, California.